Alison Ladman is someone with good tastes, and an international reputation.

She is recipe developer and tester for Associated Press, one of the largest independent networks for news and features. Her culinary creations, ranging from Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs to Red Currant and Chocolate Cheesecake, are published in newspapers and on their websites, both in this country and in Canada. Ladman is also proud she is rooted in New England.

"I live in Concord, New Hampshire. I've always been a New Hampshirite, growing up in a small town, just north of the state capital," she said.

The 32-year-old graduate from Le Cordon Bleu North America also has every foodie's dream job: managing the Associated Press' test kitchen.

"I have worked in a lot of different styles of restaurant kitchens, but the test kitchen is a very different thing," she said. "Every recipe that gets printed as AP content goes through our test kitchen, where it gets made and checked for accuracy and methodology, and then styled and shot by the photographer, Matthew Mead."

For the past five years, Ladman has been in charge of work in the test kitchen, managing the flow of the food, so that it can all be photographed at its best. Some recipes come out perfectly the first time, but that isn't always the case. When a recipe falls flat, she's ready to tinker, or go back to the beginning and completely redo something, so it will work for readers at home.

"Alison is an essential part of the AP food operation. Her attention to detail in the kitchen allows me to focus on the bigger picture, and allows AP's subscribers to feel confident in our content," said J.M. Hirsch, food editor for The Associated Press, whose recipes also appear regularly in The Republican, and on MassLive.com.

Inspiration for that content can be an approaching holiday, a particular ingredient, or a popular cooking method.

On days that they test and shoot recipes, Ladman starts the day by shopping at her local grocery store for needed ingredients. AP recipes are written so readers are able to buy all the ingredients in one place but sometimes, she shares, a few ingredients might "require a little hunting".

Arms full and bags in hand, Ladman heads to the test kitchen to go over the day's agenda and figure out what needs to be started first.

"If we're doing something that requires a long marinade or a long roast, those have to get going first. There's also balancing equipment, depending on what multiple recipes require, for example the oven at different temperatures. From there it's sort of a go-with-the-flow affair, adjusting as needed, depending on how each dish comes out and how long they actually take," she said.

On days that she's not in the test kitchen, Ladman can be found at The Crust and Crumb, a completely-from-scratch bakery that she opened in July 2011.

"After culinary school, I specialized in the baking and pastry end of things. Being fluent in both halves of the kitchen is really valuable for both running my business and working for the AP," she said.

Ladman began her bakery in a rented space at Canterbury Shaker Village. A year later, she moved into a former Concord bakery storefront on Main Street, already set up and ready to welcome the following she earned through hard work, farmers markets and wholesale accounts.

"Once I made the decision to move, I knew that I was going to need help," she said. "The company has since grown to employ seven other people. I have two full-time bakers who work with me, along with five people who help with customers."

The shop is much-loved for its bread, pies and tortes, cookies, whoopie pies and scones. A champion of the local food movement, The Crust and Crumb is a "certified local" business with the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection.

"Being 'certified local' helps us to be more connected to our community. We use a lot a different local products, roasted coffee, dairy from the dairy farm, produce from the farmers market, even whole wheat flour is grown locally," she said.

The shop's bread comes in 26 flavors, making it a something-for-everyone kind of item. From classic French baguettes and sourdough to multigrain and honey oat, there are six to 10 flavors to choose from on any given day

Some of the more unusual flavors include Mediterranean date, citrus wheatberry and Shaker squash rolls.

The Crust and Crumb also offer a "bread subscription". Modeled after a farmer's Community Supported Agriculture formula, subscriptions are prepaid for eight weeks and every week subscribers can pick up a different flavor of bread and a small bag of a surprise sweet.

Looking forward, Ladman is excited for continued growth at the shop and with her work for the Associated Press.

"More and more people are discovering what we're about and all the different things we have to offer. We're always experimenting with new items so it never gets old, for us or the customers. As for the AP, we have new challenges and assignments every week, so there's always a new adventure," she said.

To keep up with Alison Ladman, AP recipe developer and The Crust and Crumb owner, visit http://www.thecrustandcrumb.com/ or follow her on Twitter at @CrustAndCrumbCo.

To make the crust, in a medium bowl mix together the coconut, chocolate sandwich cookies and butter. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and press it evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

To make the filling, in a small glass dissolve the gelatin in the 2 tablespoons of water.

In a small saucepan over medium-high, bring the juice to a boil. Stir in the dissolved gelatin, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and cream of coconut. Add the raspberry jam and gelatin and mix until smooth.

In another medium bowl, use an electric mixer with clean beaters to whip the cream until it holds medium peaks. Working in 2 batches, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in the raspberries, reserving a few for garnish. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Top with the toasted coconut and the reserved raspberries. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, stir together the yeast, flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the water, pumpkin and egg until a thick, smooth batter forms. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 45 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and stir well. Remove from the heat.

In a large, deep skillet over medium-high, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 F.

Working in batches, carefully drop the batter by the tablespoonful into the hot oil. A cookie or small ice cream scoop makes this easier. Turning occasionally, fry the doughnuts until deep golden brown all over and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried doughnuts to a large bowl. Drizzle the honey syrup over the doughnuts and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Serve immediately.

In a blender, combine the cranberries, mint leaves and tequila. Blend until the berries and mint are well chopped. Cover, refrigerate and allow to steep overnight or for up to 3 days.

After the mixture has steeped, pour it through a mesh strainer to remove and discard the solids, pressing them to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the infused tequilas to a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a second pitcher, stir together the agave, lime juice, orange juice and water. Serve the pitchers side-by-side, along with mint sprigs to garnish. Instruct guests to pour equal parts of each mixture (roughly 2 ounces of each) into an ice-filled glass, then gently stir.